Podcast Ep 31: The Burden of Leadership (John Stumbo, President of the C&MA)

I think we would all agree that suffering produces the best leaders. I am amazed when I talk to people who consistently tell me that they are who they are because of how God shaped them during hard trials. In other places I have share about my own personal trials. When I recount these stories I will state how it scares me who I would be today had God not taken me through those trials.

I have the privilege today to interviewa man who has been shaped by the hard stuff of life, and I don’t think he would be the leader that he is today had God not asked him to go through what he went through. I have the privilege today to interview Dr. John Stumbo who serves as the president of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. In this powerful interview you will hear John share about his burden for the lost, his passionate commitment to the gospel and how his trust in Jesus deepened even more after enduring and surviving an 18 month battle with a mysterious illness that nearly took his life. John speaks candidly about his struggle with suffering and trying to understand why God took him down this journey.

John met his wife, Joanna, while in college, and they have been blessed with 35 years of marriage, three adult children, and three young grandsons. John culminated his educational preparation for ministry by earning a DMin in leadership and the emerging culture. Most of his ministry over the past 35 years has been spent shepherding small and large Alliance congregations from eastern Pennsylvania to the Pacific Northwest. An avid outdoorsman, John is often spotted with hiking boots, running shoes, a tennis racket, or a fishing pole. In 2008, a lifetime of health was interrupted by a mysterious illness that robbed John of his muscle strength and the ability to swallow. Joanna became his caregiver during the two-year period of recovery. John’s ability to swallow was miraculously healed during this time, after which he was able to resume ministry.In June 2013 at the Alliance Council in Tampa, Florida, John was elected the 12th president of the U.S. C&MA and was re-elected to a second 4-year term in 2017. He and Joanna live in Colorado Springs and travel frequently to serve the Alliance family. John produces a monthly video blog which is available on the C&MA Web site and has written three books: God in You: A Conversation, In The Midst: Treasures from the Dark, and An Honest Look at a Mysterious Journey. The proceeds from the sale of these books support the Great Commission Fund.

Information on John Stumbo’s books (Click on title for order information)